Method of knitting



March 17;, 1942'. 5.5T. PIERRE METHOD OFKNITTING Filed Feb. 2, 1939 .zZ/VEWTflR:

Patented Mar 17, 1942 METHOD or KNITTING Eugene St. Pierre, Pawtucket, R. I., assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Doration of Massachusetts Falls, R. 1., a cor- Application February 2, 1939, Serial No. 254,247

4 Claims.

This case concerns a new method of knitting to control an elastic yarn for feeding the same in front of some needles and passing it behind other needles.

In the figures of drawing:

Fig. l is an isometric view showing an elastic yarn fed to the needles and being controlled in accordance with the method herein disclosed;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the same method being accomplished;

Fig. .3 is an elevation of a stockingsuch' as might be knitted in accordance with the invention.

In the feeding of elastic yarn as practiced in knitting of hosiery garter tops wherein the alastic is fed to certain needles and'floated behind other intervening needles, there has been a certain amount of difliculty in that considerable tension must be applied to the elastic to assure that it gets behind those needles in back of which it floats. Forexample, in feeding an elastic yarn to hooks of needles in advance of the main feeding station of aknitting machine, this considerable amount of tension must be imposed or there will not be sufiicient control of th elastic to carry it behind intervening needlesbehind which it is to be floated. This is particularly true if the said elastic yarn is to be knitted on every other needle and floated behind intermediate needles. Again if yarnis to be fed below the'latches-of needles, there is an additional difficulty in that once the yarn has been taken for several needles and passed alternately below the latches of some and behind the shanks of others, the needles themselves will impose a great deal of ,dragor tension in all instances to be fed to the hooks of needles first and maintained in the hooks or needles clear to either the knitting point of the elastic or to a point where the elastic might be cleared as in inlaying. In the first instance, elastic taken for knitting will be maintained in the hooks of needles and will be fed under a minimum of tension, just enough tension for ordinary knitting purposes and. control. At the start, no attempt is made to pass the elastic behind the intermediate needles.

Sinker control is used for this placing of th elastic behind intermediate needles Q in back of which it is to float and, as a result, there is no undue tension placed on the elastic, it being drawn into knitted stitches either alone as in St. Pierre Patent #2,13l,720, or into knitted stitches in conjunction with a second yarn which will preferably be a non-elastic yarn. This drawing of the said elastic into knitted stitches on spaced needles to which it is fed allows stitches of elastic yarn to be drawn which are more nearly of normal length and thus fabric to be knitted which will not be unnecessarily tight. As a matter of fact, the knitter has within his control the possibility of knitting stocking tops of varying sizeand tightness in contrast to other methodsin which, even after all effort has been made to eliminate tightness, stretch of the garter top has been 'far less than that desired.

In controlling the'elastic yarn for inlaying, it

is first fed to the hooks of needles, for example, Y

every other needle, and is controlled as above described in that very little tension is imposed upon the elastic yarn as it is fed. No attempt is made to pass the elastic behind intervening, needles until sinkers are brought inwhich engage the elastic yarn and move it in back of those needles positively. Thereafter the latches are cleared.

before 'or at about the time at which the subsequent taking of non-elastic yarn or yarns occurs.

This avoids unnecessary tightness due to immediat feeding'of the elastic below the latches and behind intervening needles. Furthermore, the elastic is notpinched beneath the latches and prevented from being drawn as freely as it should latches of needles, especially beneath the latches of spaced needles and behind intervening needles.

This lattercondition in effect subjects the elastic yarn to being drawn in a manner very similar to I what is sometimes done in tensioning ayarn.

Now referring to the figures of drawing, one

method of practicing the invention has been illustrated wherein an elastic'yarn is fed to the hooks of alternate needles and is to be passed behind or floated in back of intervening needles. The elastic is, in this example, actually drawn into knitted stitches independently of any other yarn. Thi is in accordance with the method practiced in St. Pierre Patent'#2',131,720, but it is to be understood that this is-merely illustrative and not limiting sincethe invention is applicable to all types of elastic knitting or inlaying to which these broad concepts may be applied. In Fig. 1 several sinkers and needles have been illustrated,

being greater than usual for purposes of clearness. While the invention is normally to be practiced in circular type machines such as independent needle hosiery machines, the needles and sinkers illustrated in both Figs. 1 and 2 have been shown as in a straight line rather than along the curved pathway they would take in their movement about a machine. Several needles I are moved in the direction of the arrow and at the start, the right hand side of Fig. 1, these needles are moving upwardly to take an elastic yarn 2 which is feeding from the finger 3. Sinkers 4 having nibs 5 and throats 6 are controlled at this time so that they willbe drawn outwardly in what is normally termed a sinker wave, first to allow stitches to be drawn over the lower surface at the front of the throat and thereafter, to be projected inwardly for casting off previously drawn loops. It will be noted that each of these needles has a previously drawn loop 1 which is in this instance a loop of non-elastic yarn, although the same might be elastic yarn in certain instances. These loops are cleared below needle latches as needles are moved upwardly at about the second needle from the right, Fig. 1. Selection of these needles at this point is accomplished by any satisfactory selecting means such as a dividing cam working on jack butts, or perhaps, one stage of selection of a pattern selecting means originally on the machine for other reasons. Alternate needles are raised slightly higher than intermediate needles and it is only these alternate needles which take the elastic yarn 2. This is clearly visible in Fig. 1 so that it is not believed necessary to number the various alternate and intermediate needles.

The intermediate needles may pass in front of the elastic yarn at this particular time, but that is not essential as the elastic yarn may merely ride above the hooks of these intermediate nee dies so long as it does not get into'the hooks. Only those needles which were raised to take the elastic yarn (alternate needles) have their latches cleared. The intermediate needles were not raised to a sufllcient height for that purpose. Then as all needles are drawn down by an elastic yarn drawing stitch cam, the alternate needles will draw their elastic yarn into knitted loops and the loop I on those needles will close the latch and will be cast off. At about the second or third needle from the left of this figure, sinkers are moved inwardly a little earlier than they usually would be for casting off, and it can be seen that at that time, the elastic yarn comes within the remain in raised position until they pass the next or main feeding station where they may be raised to-clear latches and knit or are otherwise controlled.

In Fig. 2 this same sequence of steps is shown to make clearer the manner in which the elastic yarn 2 is pushed forward; note the last four sinkers in the direction of movement of sinkers and needles. It can be seen that the elastic yarn is positively controlled to be pushed behind those needles which do not take it in the hooks, and thus, what happens prior to that time is not of the spacing between sinkers and between needles particular consequence so far as placement of the yarn is concerned. From an inspection of Fig. 2, it might appear that the floats have passed behind these intervening needles before reaching the point at which sinkers control, however, that is not the actual. case in the machine although I have illustrated the theoretically desired position of these floats in both Figs. 1 and 2. As an actual matter of fact, it is quite difflcult especially when knitting 1 x 1 simulated rib work, to get these floats behind the intervening needles consistently. The elastic yarn is drawn into stitches with as little tension as is practical on this type of machine, since there is no drag upon the said with needles other than the hooks of those needles which have actually taken the yarn for knitting it.

In the event the elastic yarn was to be knitted in conjunction with a non-elastic yarn rather than drawn into individual elastic yarn loops, the sequence of steps would be the same as herein illustrated except that a non-elastic yarn would be fed to the hooks of needles prior to the drawing of stitches and thus, those needles which would take both an elastic and non-elastic yarn would draw both loops at one time. The same advantages will be apparent in that sinkers would control the elastic for passing it behind intermediate needles and a minimum of tension could be imposed.

The same principles apply where the needles which are not to knit or inlay the elastic remain substantially buried to the point at which they take their yarn (inelastic yarn). If sinkers are moved in'just a little earlier than usual, the elastic will positively float behindthose buried needles when the needles do"ris'eafter passing uoderastitchcam.

If the elastic was toibe inlaid, the sequence of steps heretofore described 'would be employed and in-addition, those-'needlesdn-the hooks of which the elasti'c'was ztake' "uld be raised for clearing their latchc, to their taking another yarn such as a elasticyarn.

' In ,Fig. 3 a typical half-hose has been illustrated having a top 8', leg 9. and foot ID, the foot having theiusual heel'll and toe [2. This top 8 is knitted having the elastic yarn incorporated in spaced wales and in spaced or adjacent courses. The general effect is to draw spaced wales of. the fabric together to simulate a rib appearance and further, to provide a garter whereby the half hose or stocking will be selfsupporting.

The invention has been described with respect to its application to one type of hosiery machine and illustrative examples have been given of different embodiments of the same. It is to be understood that a 1 x 1 selection is not the only. setup which may be employed, but other groups'of needles may be resorted to as 2 x 2, 1 x 2, l x 3,

1 x 4 or any other desired scheme. The invention is defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A method of incorporating an elastic yarn in a knitted fabric including the steps of feeding that yarn to hooks of some of the needles and not to others and maintaining it in the hooks of those needles until it is to be drawn into knitted stitches and at that time, projecting sinkers inwardly for casting off a loop previously drawn,

and at the same time, controlling said elastic by said sinkers to prevent its being'taken within the hooks of needles to which it is not intended to be fed. I

2. A method of incorporating an elastic yarn in a knitted fabric including the steps of feeding said yarn to spaced needles only, maintaining said yarn in the hooks of those needles and above the hooks of other needles until said yarn is to be drawn into knitted stitches, and at that time projecting said sinkers inwardly so that said yarn will be pushed over the backs of those needles to the hooks of which it was not fed.

3. A method of incorporating an elastic yarn in a knitted fabric including the steps of feeding said elasticyarn to the hooks of spaced needles yarn downwardly over stitch drawing edges of cooperating sinkers and thereafter raising needles preparatory to taking a non-elastic yarn,

and before raising needles, the step ofpushing sinkers inwardly so that the elastic yarn extend-- int; between spaced needles will be pushed behind intermediate needleswhich may then be raised in front of the elastic yarn.

EUGENE ST. PIERRE. 

